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Home  >  Porter Airlines  >  Full-Service Porter Airlines Introduces Basic Economy
Porter Airlines

Full-Service Porter Airlines Introduces Basic Economy

Matthew Klint Posted onJuly 13, 2018July 13, 2018 5 Comments

Porter Airlines, a “boutique” full-service airline based out of Toronto’s Billy Bishop City Airport, is introducing basic economy fares.

Porter and basic economy seem like water and oil to me. That’s a good thing. Porter is the airline that has gate-lounges with drinks and snacks for all passengers. It is the airline that doesn’t nickel and dime, offering, complimentary snacks and alcohol onboard. Heck, drinks are even served in real glasses!

But Porter is now offering an “entry-level fare category” on several routes. These basic economy fares come with the following restrictions:

  • Itinerary changes and cancellations are not permitted; no refunds or credits are issued
  • Online check-in is permitted; boarding passes must be retrieved at the airport check-in counter
  • One personal item, such as a small purse or briefcase, is permitted onboard; all other bags must be checked for a fee
  • All service options, such as checked luggage and advance seat selection, are available for additional fees

So no cancellations/refunds and only one personal item. But complimentary access to the gate lounges will remain. Snacks/drinks onboard will also remain free.

A post shared by Porter Airlines (@porterairlines) on Apr 7, 2018 at 12:22pm PDT

With the addition of basic economy, Porter now offers four fare classes:

  • Freedom – All optional services included: refundable, changeable, and cancelable
  • Flexible – Offers affordable flexibility with some optional services included
  • Standard (formerly Firm) – Discounted fare with all optional services available for a fee
  • Basic – Lowest fare for definite travel plans with some optional services available for a fee

Basic economy fares will initially be rolled out on the following four routes to/from YTZ:

  • Sault Ste Marie
  • Sudbury
  • Timmins
  • Windsor

CONCLUSION

I cannot blame Porter for jumping on the basic economy bandwagon. Don’t expect to save much money, though. The lowest-priced tickets now will likely be rebranded in the “Basic” fare class. Don’t except fares to become even cheaper if you buy Basic (that’s the twisted genius of basic economy). The Porter flight experience will remain the same. That’s what makes Porter so unique in North America, so I view this news with indifference.

image: Porter

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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5 Comments

  1. Martin Reply
    July 13, 2018 at 10:48 am

    complimentary checked baggage is not currently offered. It has to be purchased. Not quite full service as indicated here.

    • Matthew Reply
      July 13, 2018 at 11:14 am

      Thank you. I have clarified that.

  2. Ryan Reply
    September 27, 2018 at 7:30 pm

    One element of the new fare structure that caught me by surprise is that “Standard” fares no longer include complimentary seat selection at time of check-in (this was free under the old Firm fares). This seems to be a negative change. For example, it’s a bit annoying when checking-in online to be automatically assigned a seat in the last row and to not be permitted to change to another open seat without paying a somewhat hefty fee.

  3. Pingback: Porter Airlines Introducing Basic Economy Fares - One Mile at a Time
  4. Pingback: Paying $400 to Avoid Basic Economy on United - Point Me to the Plane

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